Echo
by pegasus2
Summary: Echo Birch is enrolled into Hogwarts, hopeful and shy. As she becomes freinds with Lily Evans and a romance with Sirius Black develops, her life seems innocent. But when something terrible happens, are they enough to help her survive? PLEASE R/R
1. Beginning

1 

K ppz, this is my first ever fanfic, so it's probably going to be sort of stupid, but be nice. Please R&R. 

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the harry potter related thingies or ppl, so don't sue me please. If I copied anything else, I didn't mean to. 

1. 

On a bright, sunny, Saturday, an 11-year old girl called Echo Birch was sitting on a fence, talking to her horse. Echo had bright gray-green eyes, and long brown hair pulled into a neat braid. Her parents were wizards, and they lived on a farm. They kept a horse for Echo, because she was absolutely obsessed and even went to a muggle riding school. Star, her chestnut mare was a Morgan, and at the moment was nosing through echo's pockets in search of a carrot. 

At that moment, an owl came flying through the clouds to land on the fence post near Echo. It had a letter tied to its leg. Echo took it off, and the owl took flight. Echo looked at the letter. It had the hogwarts stamp on it. Echo knew this because her older sister went there. She ran inside to show her parents. 

"Hey mum, look!" Echo told her mother, who was resting in an armchair. 

"Mrs. Birch looked, and then said, "open it then, dear" 

Echo did, and the letter read: 

Dear Ms. Birch, 

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. 

Term begins September 1.we await your owl by no later than July 31. 

Sincerely, 

Minerva McGonall 

Minerva McGonanall 

Deputy headmistress 

"WOW! Mum, I'm going to Hogwarts!!" echo was grinning from ear to ear. 

Her mother was smiling. When her dad came home from work, he grinned also at the news, and Echo's sister, Karen, was estastic. 

"Wow Echo, you can come to school with me this September! Tite!" 

In august, echo and her family went to diagon alley to get school supplies. They bought their books and robes and everything else until all that was left was Echo's wand. 

Echo went into the store, and tried out 21 wands until finally, the wand with a unicorn tail hair, mahogany, 12 inches fit her. 

"Now all that's left is your pet," Karen told echo, "Maybe an owl would be nice." 

"No, I want a cat," Echo told her sister, "I think that owls are sort of ugly." 

The girls left their parents and walked into the magical menagerie. There were animals all over. Echo and Karen went to the section that had most of the cats. Echo looked them all over. She finally set on a black kitten with green eyes, which was content to sit on her shoulder. 

"What are you going to name her, sweetheart?" asked Mr. Birch. 

"I dunno. I think, uhm… I think… midnight? No wait, Blackie! Naw, Maybe night? Evening? Star? I got it! Shadow!! Yeah, Shadow!" Echo exclaimed. 

"Tite!" her sister said. 

The day ended, and Echo and her family left for home. 

On the day that Echo had to go to kings cross station, she was hugging star tearfully, and saying, "I love you. Oh I love you. I love you so much." Then her mother called, and they were off to platform 9Â¾. 

On the train, Echo bumped into a pretty girl with light blond hair. 

"Oh. Sorry." Echo told her. 

"No problem," The girl replied, "I'm crystal smith." 

"I'm echo birch. Pleased to meet you." Echo told the girl. 

"Can I sit here?" asked crystal. 

"Sure." Said echo. Soon the two girls were chatting away, and were fast friends. Crystal had green eyes, and a pretty white cat called snowflake. While they were talking, the door burst open and a guy with brown hair and brown eyes burst in followed by a guy with messy hair and green eyes, and another guy who looked like the first, except he was skinnier. 

"Oh. Sorry" said the first. 

"Ookay." Crystal said. On the boys way out back the door, one called, "oh yeah, we're here!" 

`Do you think that they're all like that?" echo asked. 

" I dunno, but they were sort of cute." The girls giggled. They got off the train and a big guy was yelling, "first years over here!" the first years followed him onto boats and rowed across the lake. Echo found herself in a boat with Crystal and another girl called Lily. She was nice, and the three girls were chatting while taking turns rowing. When they arrived into the great hall, they all looked up. There were thousands of white candles floating above them. And above that, there was a beautiful sky, filled with stars. There were "oohs," and "aahs" from the first years. Then everyone formed a line and the sorting began. Echo was so nervous. She snapped out of it when the woman next to the hat called, "Birch, Echo." And echo walked forward and placed the hat on her head. Hmm… where should I put you? Echo jumped. The hat was talking! Let's see… nice, brave, smart though. Could be ravenclaw. Naw, why not GRYFFINDOR! 

Echo walked to the table that she hoped was the gryffindors, because they were cheering. She sat in an empty seat and watched the sorting. She smiled at the next one. It was the boy who had crashed through the door in the train! "Black, Sirius" called the witch. He was in gryffindor. Remus lupin, also one of the boys, was the next one she recognized. He was a gryffindor also. As was the other boy with messy hair. Lily was put into gryffindor, and sat down next to Echo. 

"Omigod. I hope crystal gets gryffindor also," Lily told echo, "I'm so nervous!" Crystal did get put in gryffindor, and the girls began to talk again. They were interrupted when albus dumbledore, the headmaster, like Karen had said to echo, stood up, and began making announcements, and ended with, " now just a few words, and we will sing the school song. He said a couple of nonsense words, and then the whole great hall burst into song. After that, food started popping up on the plates. 

"Whoa" said Lily. Everyone started eating. The food seemed never ending. Everyone was practically bursting when the food finally disappeared. 

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	2. Winged Horses

2 

2. 

The next morning, Echo woke up to find lily prodding her and crystal standing next to her. 

"Wake up Echo!" crystal told her, "How she can sleep so long after yesterday I do not know." 

"I'm awake, okay?" Echo told them both irritably. 

"Ah. Finally." 

"What do you want?" echo asked them. Crystal answered, " how early is it?" 

"It's late," Lily told her, "only 4 `O clock." 

"Omigod! 4? Four?? I was sleeping!" 

"Well you know, we sort of figured that out. Get up!" Crystal told her irritably. Echo got up, and all three girls got themselves ready for classes. It was five `O clock when the girls were ready, and they had until eight when classes began. The girls were talking again. They talked about everything, until, 

"So what did you think of those boys, uhm… James? Sirius? And er… oh yeah Remus I think." Crystal asked the two girls. 

They were pretty hot, don't you think, Echo? I wouldn't mind James for a boyfriend." 

"I know. They were cute. Hey, we've got charms first period, don't we?" Echo asked. 

"Yeah, I think. The place is so big! I'm gonna get lost." Crystal moaned. Then she looked at her watch. Seven-thirty." she commented. 

"Right. Lets get our stuff." Echo said. By then everyone else had began to walk in, and the girls packed their bags and left. 

The charms teacher was professor boards, a tall, thin man with a slightly nasal voice. 

"Today," he told the class, "we will be doing levitating charms." The class was supposed to lift pebbles, but no one got it because echo's wouldn't move at all and Sirius, James, Remus, and a boy called peter, who had got tired of trying to lift rocks, began to throw them at the teachers head when it was turned. 

Potions were actually sort of fun, but echo just couldn't imagine how she was going to memorize the stupid ingredients for thousands of potions. 

"Hey, care of magical creatures next!" Echo told her friends excitedly. 

"It's bound to be the best." Crystal grinned. They walked outside onto the grounds, to find that they were doing double with the ravenclaws. As they got closer, echo saw what was in he paddock. 

"Horses!" she looked excitedly at the winged horses in the paddock. 

"Class, today we will be working with winged horses. Partner up. 3 to a group." Said professor reb, a plump, stern looking woman. Of course, Echo, crystal, and lily were partners. They were assigned to a pretty light bay mare, called lightning. They took turns feeding her carrots until the teacher announced that they were going to ride. "Who wants to go first?" no one raised their hand, so professor reb picked Echo. `Just like riding star' she told herself. She led Lightning over to the fence at the professor's instruction, and scrambled up. She nudged the horse with her heels, and walked around the paddock. `Not bad' she told herself, and asked for a trot. At the corner, she sat back, and cantered. It was nice, and Echo hardly noticed when the horse spread it's wings, and took off. Flying was wonderful. The horse's wings were beating, and then she and lightning were gliding lazily over the paddock. Echo leaned forward and pushed on the neck to land safely inside the paddock. She slid off and patted lightning. 

"Good, miss birch. Lets try someone else." He pointed to one of the ravenclaws, and echo led lightning back to the fence and tied her there. 

"Wow, echo, you were good!" Crystal told her. 

"Yeah, you know how to ride horses?" lily asked. 

"Thanks. Yeah, I have a horse back home. I like to ride. Wow, though, that was so cool!" Echo felt exited. 

Class finished, and the gryffindors went back to the common room, to talk. The classes were over, so the three girls just had fun exploring the castle and played with the cats. 

"Echo?" a boy was standing over her, "um, professor dumbledore wants to talk to you. He's outside." He ran away. Echo nervously said, "see you later." And walked outside. 

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	3. New Magic

3 

3. 

Echo found professor Dumbledore waiting outside the entrance. 

"Hello Echo." Dumbledore greeted her. 

"Er hi professor. Um, what did you need me for?" Echo asked. 

" Please come with me to my office." He walked into a hallway, and stopped in front of a large stone gargoyle. 

"Sugar quills" he said, and the gargoyle moved aside. They stepped into an office, where a beautiful bird was sitting on a golden perch. 

"Oh wow!" Echo exclaimed over the bird. 

"That's a phoenix. His name is Fawkes." 

"Awwww. Hey Fawkes." Echo said, petting the bird. 

" Miss birch, I asked you to come because I sensed something different about you. There is some sort of unknown magic in you." 

Echo stared. 

"Yes. And I would like to see what it is. If you could come every day after classes, we could work with it. You probably didn't feel it because you are also a witch." 

"Um, I guess, but, still even though I'm a witch, wouldn't I have, well noticed something?" 

"I don't know. I'll discuss this tomorrow with you after classes." 

Echo left, and stood dumbly outside the gargoyle until Sirius Black crashed into her and sent her flying. 

"Sorry echo. What were you doing here? Did you get in trouble with Dumbledore or something?" he said, helping her up. 

"Uh, no, I was just, er, here." She said, blushing. 

"See ya." He started running again, to catch up with his friends. 

Echo told her friends everything that dumbledore said to her. 

"Wow Echo, I wonder what it is?" Lily told her. 

"Maybe he was just imagining things." Crystal suggested. 

"I dunno…" Echo trailed off. 

Just then, the marauders walked in, brooms slung over their shoulders. Their mini fan club of mostly girls was following close behind. 

"C'mon you guys," said lily, looking disgusted, "lets go somewhere quiet. They walked away. 

The next day, after classes, Echo went up to the office again, saying to the stone gargoyle, "sugar quill." She walked up the stairs, and was greeted by professor Dumbledore. 

"Miss birch. Hello. We will be having our lesson outside. Come with me." 

Their walk ended at the paddock with the horses in it. Dumbledore asked echo to take lightning out. 

"I think that you may have some strange connection with animals. Professor Reb tells me that Lightning here really liked you." 

"Professor, I know a lot about horses. I have one. Maybe it was just because I knew more." 

"Could be. But let's try this just to find out. Now, I want you to close your eyes, and think a sentence to Lightning. Just say hell in your mind, and direct it to her." Dumbledore ordered her. Echo closed her eyes, feeling silly. [Hello?] Echo heard something, but she couldn't understand. "What?" she said out loud.[I said hello, are you a bit deaf?] the horse looked sympathetic]I should hate to be deaf. It would be horrible don't you think? I do. Just imagine not hearing anything] 

"I heard her, professor!" Echo said, her eyes wide, "I really heard her. Omigod! Hey, you really heard me didn't you?" she asked the horse again. [Some people are slow also,] Lightning said,[I should absolutely hate to be both deaf and stupid]echo glared at her. 

"Ah, looks like I'll be talking to you tomorrow," said dumbledore, "looking at his watch, "try not to talk in front of other people too much. They might think you're crazy." And with that he waved goodbye and left. `I can talk to animals!' echo thought. [Goodbye.] She told lightning, because she was eager to try out her new power on shadow. She ran in to find the common room empty. `Good' she thought. [Shadow!] She called to her cat, which was sitting on the table. [Since when did you learn to talk] shadow asked, looking surprised.[since now!] said Echo, delighted, [tell me everything] 

Echo and shadow talked on and on, until the gryffindors came in, and Echo had to stop. [Bye shadow.] She told the cat, and went over to her friends. 

Echo was comfortable with hogwarts. She grew to like almost everybody, except for snape, this really oily, greasy kid in slytherin. Her lessons with dumbledore went on, and Echo grew better and better at talking with her friends the animals. She could almost control them, and could calm a crazy animal down pretty fast. On a cold December morning, Echo was chatting with Nightstar, a black mare when James, Sirius, Remus, and peter strolled up, early. Echo made a face. She liked the boys, they were nice and fun to have around, but Sirius made her blush and she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of them. Plus she had horse hair all down her robes. So she kept talking and scratching nightstar 

"Hey echo." Sirius told her. 

"Hi." She answered back. [Ugh.] She told the horse. [Why do they have to be here?] 

"Do you know if Prof. Boards is giving the test today or tomorrow?" James asked. 

"It's tomorrow, I think." She told him [that colt needs to comb his hair or something,] Nightstar told her,[even after a 100-mile flight I don't think my mane looked that bad.] echo almost laughed out loud. James' hair was really messy. 

"Oh," said James, looking at the hill, "here comes Lily and that other girl, uhm…" 

"Crystal," Remus said, and coughed, embarrassed, when they all looked at him. Sirius grinned. "So Remus, what's her last name? Her age, height?" Remus blushed. Echo smiled, glad that she hadn't felt awkward the whole time. 

"Hey echo." Lily had just arrived. 

"How's nightstar?" crystal asked, looking at nightstar. 

"She's fine, I think. Bit hyper today, she was talking a lot. Really, I feel sorry for whoever has to ride her." 

"Well then, you can do it!" Lily said, laughing. The four boys looked at them strangely. 

"Don't mind us," said lily cheerfully, "we're crazy!" the three girls laughed again. 

"Er… right." Sirius said. Just then, Professor reb walked outside. The class began. 

OKAY, U NEED 2 TELL ME IF ECHO IS GETTING TOO PERFECT. I DINT WANT HER 2 BE A PERFECT LITTLE MARYSUE. IF SHE IS, THEN TELL ME AND ILL TRY 2 FIX IT. ALSO, IF THERES SUMTHING ELSE SAY SO. NOW GO REVIEW!!! 

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	4. Shadows

I know I'm jumping around, but I need to make sure that I can get to the end before I'm 80. Will people please review? I don't know if I should go on. I might still go if you don't review, cause I hate to leave things hanging. the little number at the top says three, and I think that's really pathetic. Please tell me if you have any suggestions.  
  
4.  
  
In Echo's third year, she was going to one of her classes when Sirius stopped her in the hall.  
  
"Um.Echo," Sirius began, and Echo noticed that he was without his group, " I was, er, wondering if you could come to hogsmead with me. I mean, if you don't have anything else." He looked at her, slightly red. Echo wondered why he was so embarrassed. After all, he had gone with plenty of other girls.  
  
"Sure. I could meet you at around 4 'O clock, if you want." Echo told him, while trying hard not to sound embarrassed.  
  
"Okay. See you there." He waved goodbye. Echo just sort of stood there for a second, then went to her class.  
  
At 2 'O clock, echo proceeded to her lesson with dumbledore. He greeted her, than said, "Echo, I was thinking that there might be more to this power with animals you have. I want to try finding out if there is anything else."  
  
"Okay, professor." She told him. They went to the paddock like usual, and Dumbledore instructed her to ask the horse if he knew anything.  
  
[Nightstar?]Do you know if there might be something else to this?] She asked the closest one.  
  
[I don't really know. Ask Fava over there. She knows a lot.]  
  
So echo went over to ask fava, a pretty dapple-gray mare with dark stockings.  
  
[You could try changing to animal form. Maybe you can do something else. Try experimenting.] Was her reply. Echo relayed this to dumbledore, and he said, "changing shapes, hum. perhaps you might ask an animagus about it. I could arrange for Minerva to try. In the meantime, do what she said. Experiment when there's no one around. I will see you tomorrow." He walked away. Then Echo remembered her date with Sirius. She rushed to get ready. At exactly 4:06, Echo walked in to three broomsticks to meet Sirius.  
  
"Hi." He told her.  
  
"Hey Sirius. What's up?" she told him, smiling. She felt so uncomfortable! Was she blushing?  
  
" Nothing, really. You want to meet the others?" lily had told her that James had asked her to go with him, too.  
  
"Okay. Let's go." She told him, and they walked out and went on the path to the shrieking shack. They grew more comfortable, and soon Sirius was asking her about how it was at the muggle riding stable.  
  
"It's nice, really. I learn a lot about them, but most importantly, they take wonderful care of the horses. The people are really nice, not at all what you'd expect from muggles, they're actually quite smart. I really liked it."  
  
"I didn't really go close to muggles, but my grandmother was one. So I guess I'm ¼ muggle."  
  
"Did you always know your friends? Remus, and James, and peter?" echo asked.  
  
"Only James. Remus and peter we met here." Sirius told her. They arrived at the shack, and Lily and James were waiting there.  
  
"Hey Echo!" Lily waved. Echo waved back. Everyone said hi, and then James asked everyone if they wanted to go to three broomsticks.  
  
"We just came from there!" Sirius complained.  
  
"Too bad." James said to his friend with a grin. They walked back, and Echo drifted back to talk to Lily.  
  
"How long have you two.?" Echo asked.  
  
"Not long! It was just yesterday! You know I would have told you!" Lily protested.  
  
" Uh huh. Of course, Lily." Echo told her dryly.  
  
"For real! You think I'm lying?" lily was speaking softly so the boys couldn't hear, but her voice rose a bit.  
  
" Well, yes. Pretty much. Now how long has it really been?" echo grinned at her.  
  
" Two weeks." Lily grinned back. They walked back up next to the two boys, because they were there. They talked, had a butterbeer, and then went back to hogwarts.  
  
The next day, at 2 'O clock, when Echo went to meet dumbledore, she found professor mcgonall with him.  
  
"Echo, I want to see if you can take the form of an animal. Professor Mcgonall will be trying to help you do it, she's an animagus."  
  
"But professor, that takes years!" Change into an animal? Echo doubted she could do it.  
  
"Your power is unusual, Echo. I'd like to try it." Dumbledore told her. Echo nodded, and decided she might as well try it.  
  
"All right. When I change to a cat, I focus my entire mind on everything about the cat. Features, markings, everything," Mcgonall told her. She changed to a cat, then back, "I want you to try to change to lightning." She gestured to the bay mare standing and watching curiously.  
  
Echo closed her eyes. She thought about Lightning. She pictured the mare in her mind as hard as she could. The result was absolutely nothing. She tried again. This time she felt a wisp of something. But it was gone.  
  
"I can't. I keep trying. But it disappears before I can grab it." She stomped her foot in frustration.  
  
"All right. We'll try again tomorrow. Goodbye." The transfiguration teacher and the headmaster walked away."  
  
That night, Echo asked Shadow if she could try him.[of course,]shadow told her,[be my guest.] he sat to watch. Echo cast a spell on the bed so she wouldn't be disturbed, and closed her eyes. She felt a rope like thing in her mind, and grabbed it. It was gold, and gave off a light, when she touched it she felt herself changing. She opened her eyes. She saw shadow in front of her. He looked big. She looked in the reflection of the bedpost. A cat stared back at her.[shadow?] she asked,[am I you?] shadow gave her a sort of smile. He said,[I suppose. That was interesting. How did you do it?]  
  
[I don't know. Can you give me a tour?] Echo asked him. They trotted off.  
  
  
  
Can someone please tell me how to do Italics and other stuff? It's not showing up. Thank you. Please review. Also say if I'm going too fast.  
  
--PEGASUS 


	5. Mysterious Potions

Echo woke up with a groan. Apparently, changing into cats and running around the school was tiring. She didn't want to get up. She closed her eyes again, hoping for some extra sleep.  
  
[WAKE UP!] The voice blasted into her head, making her sit up quickly. Shadow sat on the foot of the bed, looking smug.  
  
[Heavy sleeper, aren't we?] He said. Echo resisted the urge to hit him with the book lying next to her.  
  
[I'm tired, Shadow. Did you have to yell in my ear?] She asked. He hopped off the bed.  
  
[Yes.] And trotted out of the room. Echo sighed and got up. Not only did cats have a bad sense of humor, but they also couldn't tell time, Echo noted. It was even earlier than she usually got up.  
  
[Something you might want to see] Shadow called, his mind voice fading quickly. What? Echo shook her head and pulled on her robed, jogging out to the direction Shadows voice had come from.  
  
A classroom long since deserted, as it was in absolute disrepair. But strangely, there were voices coming from it. Echo pressed her ear against the door.  
  
"Sirius…where are we going to get wolfsbane?" a voice said…Remus. Echo decided to walk in, opening the door. Shadow looked cautiously around her legs.  
  
"What are you guys doing?" She asked, stepping in and noticing a bubbling cauldron. All four of them were here.  
  
"Echo? What are you doing here?" Sirius asked, trying to move himself in front of the cauldron.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked again.  
  
"We…uh…needed to work a bit on that potion. For the…uhm…test." Peter said. Echo shrugged.  
  
"Sure. I believe you. Except for the fact that there is no test, and the fact that all four of you are doing fine in potions." She raised her eyebrow.  
  
"We're just practicing. What are you doing up?" Sirius said, just as casually.  
  
"My cat shouted in my ear. And now look, I've found you guys doing something most likely against the rules, in an empty classroom. You are so not making my day any better. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine." She felt an angry blush rise up in her cheeks.  
  
"Your cat shouted in your ear?" James said, looking curiously at her.  
  
"Yes. I'll see you around, then. Thanks a lot." Echo turned and made to leave.  
  
[Mad, Echo? Don't start crying.] Shadow said. Echo almost stepped on him.  
  
"Be quiet! Go find a mouse and rip it apart or something!" she said angrily.  
  
"What?" Remus asked. Oops.  
  
"Uh, nothing. Sometimes I-"  
  
[They want to be animagi.] Shadow said, having slipped closer to the cauldron and was now sniffing the air. Echo stopped in midsentence.  
  
"You want to be animagi?" She asked, turning around. They looked at her, eyes wide. Peter stepped back.  
  
"What? No…" Sirius said, faking a smile.  
  
[They're lying. That potion is part of the process. Ask them why.] Shadow said.  
  
"Yes you do. Why in the world would you want to be an animagi?" she said, for once following the cat's instructions.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Sirius said. Echo almost stomped her foot.  
  
"You know what? You don't have to admit it. I'm leaving. But I'm NOT speaking to you, Sirius Black. Never again." She swept out of the room, feeling very annoyed. She heard footsteps behind her.  
  
"Echo! Wait up!" It was Sirius. Echo kept walking. Shadow had run off somewhere.  
  
"Echo!" He caught up with her, making her stop. She didn't look at him.  
  
"I'll tell." He said. She met his eyes.  
  
"So?" she said.  
  
"You're right. We do want to be animagi."  
  
* * *  
  
"Ow!" Echo cried as the griffin scratched her viciously. Her hand was bleeding now. Griffins. They wouldn't listen to her. She had tried talking to it, but all it did was insult her. Still, the other students were having more trouble than she was.  
  
"Hey Echo!" Lily called over to her. Echo held on to the griffin tightly and looked over to her. Lily pushed red hair out of her eyes.  
  
"I was talking to James and he said you found out." She said. Echo looked at her in disbelief.  
  
"You KNEW? And you didn't tell me?" Echo cried. Lily looked ashamed.  
  
"They told me not to. Anyway, it was pretty important. And I still don't know why."  
  
"I can't believe you! All of you! Good lord, not only did you manage to keep from me that James asked you out, but no, you can't tell me about the illegal potion you've been brewing for the last-how long, anyway?" she said. She knew she was being a bit rash, but she felt hurt that her friends had been keeping so much from her.  
  
"SORRY, Echo! You think I should have told the whole school, too?! I mean, you just want to know everything! Some things you don't have to know!"  
  
"Oh, and even though I told you guys at once about the animals, some things are okay to keep from ME? Are you saying that, by telling me, the WHOLE school would know?" she said. The teacher called that class was over, and Echo put the griffin back in it's cage, slamming the door shut.  
  
"Echo! No, of course not! They just-"  
  
"They! Fine, if you care about them more than you care about me, then go talk to them! Don't even bother!" Echo walked to the castle, keeping herself from breaking into a run. She noticed Sirius as she passed, giving him no acknowledgment.  
  
She ran into the dormitory and changed, getting ready for her lesson. She tried holding back the tears, grabbing a tissue and wiping her now- watery eyes.  
  
[You okay?] Shadow's voice asked. she sniffed.  
  
[yeah. I have to go.] she didn't even feel like talking to him. He hopped on to the bed and started washing, looking as if he would shake his head any moment. Echo jogged out of the room, hoping her face hadn't gone blotchy.  
  
She arrived, as usual, on time. No headmaster, she noticed. Professor McGonagall greeted her.  
  
"Good afternoon. I thought today we would work a bit more on changing, as I am certain it will work this time." Echo felt her mood rise a bit.  
  
"I'm sorry, professor. I did try it, just once, and it worked. I changed into my cat!" she said, trying not to sound excited. The professor smiled slightly.  
  
"You shouldn't try it where others can see. But by all means, try it." She said. Echo nodded and closed her eyes. it was easier than the first time. She opened her eyes, looking up now at McGonagall. The professor said something. Echo blinked. What? she couldn't understand English, she realized. Only cats now. She changed back quickly.  
  
"I couldn't understand you, professor!" she said, her eyes wide.  
  
"Maybe…try being something else. A bird, perhaps…maybe it depends on the ears you have as the animal." She said. Echo nodded.  
  
"I'll try a bird, I suppose." She said. The professor nodded. Echo had no idea which bird to be, so she decided to try something that was easy to imagine. A bald eagle. She had seen one on a postcard, once. She tried to picture it-  
  
she rolled over, losing her balance. It was difficult. She flapped her wings, trying to lift off. she couldn't. she saw McGonagall saying something. it looked like…she had no idea, so she changed back. It was hard. She was so tired…as her vision returned to normal, she fainted.  
  
TBD  
  
I know that I haven't written in a LONG time!! SORRY!!! I lost interest, but I just felt like it now…well, I hope that it's gotten better…I read some of the other chapters and they were sorta…eh…  
  
Echo is mad now. Boohoo, but I thought I'd add something interesting. Anyway, it's been three years and she has to get mad at SOMETHING. okay, R/R, please, now. You know, the little box on the bottom left? I'm not going to write more until I get a couple more good reviews. (boy am I ruining myself there) Toodles! 


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